B2B Concert of Prayer – Stand Firm #806

Posted on July 29, 2012 by ron021950

CONCERT OF PRAYER

Pray Week 806

“Stand Firm”

Ephesians 6:13-18 (ESV) Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth…

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Kudos to Dan Cathy, President of the Chick-fil-A restaurant chain for standing firm in his faith and speaking the truth of God’s Word from his heart.

Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that … I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, and not frightened in anything by your opponents. – Phil 1:27

And the opponents of Biblical Christian values came out swinging against Chick-fil-A.  Chicago Alderman Joe Moreno stated publically “Because of this man’s ignorance, I will deny Chick-fil-A a permit to open a restaurant in my ward”. Further east, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino sent a letter to Mr. Cathy stating that there was “no place” for Chick-fil-A in the city.

In this land of free speech, how is it that only viewpoints that align with current politically correct norms are allowed and all else is considered hate speech and to be censored?  Have you noticed how intolerant the tolerant are?  Thank God that both Moreno and Menino’s threats are still illegal in this country.

There is fear in corporate boardrooms and in political party circles today.  This fear is even found in some church denominations and it stems from the religion of the bottom line.  Everyone fearfully walks on eggshells, skirting issues, refusing to take a stand, all the while being careful not to offend anyone that can adversely affect profit, position, and power.  Jesus taught that we are slaves to whatever has mastered us and far too many have taken on the yoke of slavery to preserve the bottom line no matter the compromise of values.

For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. – Gal 5:1

Will you stand firm in your faith when the opportunity arises?  Is there enough evidence in your place of work to convict you of being a Christian?  If people bash a gay coworker, do you join in or defend the fact that God loves us all and we are all sinners before Him?

In an election, will you vote for the candidate that you believe will improve your bottom line or will you take a stand and vote for the candidate that will uphold your Christian values?

So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught … – 2 Thess 2:15

May the Holy Spirit give you the spiritual backbone to stand firm, equipped with the full armor of God.  It is only when we stand firm and stand with one another that we can defend our values and our right to express them and live them out in our daily lives.

With respect to Mr. Cathy and other men and women like him:

Be watchful, stand firm in the faith … Give recognition to such men. – 1 Cor 16:13

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B2B Concert of Prayer – Doubt #805

Posted on July 23, 2012 by ron021950

CONCERT OF PRAYER

Pray Week 805

“Doubt”

Matthew 14:29-31 (ESV)  …But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”

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Doubt. Left unchecked it becomes a deliverer of destructive despair and depression.  I doubt.  I believe that all humanity has doubts from time to time.

Even great people of faith as recorded in the Bible had doubts.  Abraham doubted and fathered a son with Hagar.  David doubted and wrote several Psalms asking why his soul was downcast and disturbed.

After Jesus was crucified the disciples doubted.

… Jesus himself stood among them, and …said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? – Luke 24:36-38

We doubt along several fronts.  We doubt the integrity of our government and our elected leaders.  We doubt the motives of some friends, acquaintances, salespeople, and certain family members.  Much of these doubts arise from personal experiences of deceit, lies, and betrayals of trust.  ‘Once burned, twice shy’, as the saying goes. We can also doubt our ability to handle some situations and perform certain tasks.  This doubt arises from a lack of personal experience in these areas. Therefore doubts arise from both negative personal experiences as well as a lack of confidence building experiences.

So why would we ever doubt God?  God has never lied to us or betrayed us. His character is that of our loving Father who is good.  He is faithful and true and His steadfast love never ceases.

Doubts arise when our trials and difficult circumstances persist and God seems to be silent, inattentive to our prayers, or distant.  He seems this way because our flesh is impatient in its demand for comfort.  Oswald Chambers wrote: Faith is deliberate confidence in the character of God whose ways you may not understand at the time. It is during these times that we need to fuel our faith in order to quench the doubt arising in our flesh.

Our faith is fueled with encouragement and doubt is quenched through the reading, memorizing, and meditation of His Word.

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble; And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. – Psalm 46:1; Philippians 4:19

Our faith is fueled and doubt is quenched through prayer, journaling, and the review of our prayer journal history.  This builds our personal experience of faith in our walk with God giving us deliberate confidence in His character as our loving Father.

May the Holy Spirit fuel your heart, mind, and soul with the oil of His presence so that you may quench doubts as they arise.  May you have deliberate confidence in God and in His love for you.  May you experience the perfect peace of His abiding presence.

Be still, and know that I am God. – Psalm 46:10

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B2B Concert of Prayer – Renewed Strength #804

Posted on July 15, 2012 by ron021950

CONCERT OF PRAYER

Pray Week 804

“Renewed Strength”

Isaiah 40:31 (ESV)  but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

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Effortless. This is a word I would use to describe a soaring eagle’s flight.  God created the eagle with the instinctive ability to harness rising currents of warm air called thermals and updrafts caused by uneven terrain such as mountain slopes.

The eagle soars with very little expended energy from wing flapping and long distance migration flights are accomplished by gliding between one thermal updraft to the next. When you consider the flight of an eagle you begin to understand why God uses the metaphor: ‘they shall mount up with wings like eagles‘ to describe the renewal of our strength.

We are a people of action.  We like sayings such as ‘When the going gets tough, the tough get going’. Unfortunately the tough usually get tired and frustrated because they got going in the wrong direction or manner.  The key in our reference Scripture for renewed strength is waiting for the Lord.  However, waiting for the Lord is not inaction.  Note the action words in verse 31:  ‘mount up’, ‘run’, and ‘walk’.  All too often we take action without giving God any thought until our energy is spent and only then do we cry out to God for help.

A better saying might be: ‘When the going gets tough, the tough get on their knees.’  This is where we receive direction and strength from God to overcome the adversity we are facing.

Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the Lord, and spread it before the Lord. – Isaiah 37:14

The thermal updrafts harnessed by a soaring eagle are akin to the ‘tough going’ of our daily lives.  They are created by the searing heat of the sun and are associated with turbulent winds.  If you have ever flown in an airplane, you most likely have experienced the bumpy ride that the pilot called turbulence. Note that the eagle takes the thermal updrafts head on.  Note also that the eagle does not fight against the thermal but rises above it, harnessing the energy of adversity and using it to their benefit.

In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”- John 16:33b

Are you tired and weary from the adversity and challenges in your life?  Is your energy spent?  Do you feel like you cannot go on?  Are you tempted to give up and run from the trials you are facing?

Now is the time to wait upon the Lord, ‘spread your wings’ wide in abandonment to your Father. Trust in Him completely to see you through these turbulent times.

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits… who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. – Psalm 103:2-5

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B2B Concert of Prayer – Rabshakeh #803

Posted on July 9, 2012 by ron021950

CONCERT OF PRAYER

Pray Week 803

“Rabshakeh”

2 Kings 18:28-32 (ESV) Then the Rabshakeh stood and called out in a loud voice in the language of Judah: …‘Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to deliver you out of my hand. Do not let Hezekiah make you trust in the Lord by saying, The Lord will surely deliver us, and this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.’ Do not listen to Hezekiah, for thus says the king of Assyria: ‘Make your peace with me and come out to me. Then each one of you will eat of his own vine, and each one of his own fig tree, and each one of you will drink the water of his own cistern, until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of grain and wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive trees and honey, that you may live, and not die. And do not listen to Hezekiah when he misleads you by saying, The Lord will deliver us.

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Rabshakeh is the title of a high-ranking official in the service of the Assyrian king.  He brought the intimidating message of the enemy to the people of Israel.  Jerusalem was under siege and Hezekiah spoke words of encouragement to his people.  The Assyrian king sent the Rabshakeh to speak a competing message seeking to destroy the hope that the people had.

Satan seeks to destroy our hope through competing messages to this day.  Who is the “Rabshakeh” that is speaking to you when you desperately need to cling to hope in the Lord?

Examine your own self talk.  We can be our own worst enemy at times.  Become aware of what you say after the word ‘but’.  The last thing you say about your situation or circumstance is where your heart is concerning it.  You could have made several biblically sound positive affirmations only to negate them all with your closing statement.  Learn to punctuate your words with an encouraging Scripture verse.

Examine your peer group.  Does your peer group largely share your Christian values?  Do they influence you from a Biblical perspective or a worldly perspective?  Are your conversations characteristic of co-dependent, pity-party, gripe sessions rather than spiritually encouraging ministry through God’s Word?

Examine your entertainment context.  What feeds your mind?  What books do you read?  What games do you play?  What TV and movies do you watch?  What music do you listen to?  Is the Rabshakeh speaking doubt and discouragement to your heart and mind through your entertainment?  Does he offer you empty promises of pleasure in this world if you would turn away from trusting in God?

Examine your prayer life.  Is your prayer time characterized as a loving, personal relationship with Father God and His child or is it more of an impersonal ATM transaction?  This intimate, worship time with God fuels your spirit with the Truth of God’s Word and is the antidote to the discouraging words of the Rabshakeh that will come against you.

But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.”- Lamentations 3:21

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B2B Concert of Prayer – Perfect Peace #802

Posted on July 1, 2012 by ron021950

CONCERT OF PRAYER

Pray Week 802

“Perfect Peace”

Isaiah 26:3 (ESV) You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.

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I enjoy viewing the satellite images of the earth from the National Hurricane Center NOAA web site.  I marvel at the ability to zoom in from a global perspective all the way down to a neighborhood street.

As I contemplated our reference Scripture from Isaiah this week the Lord brought to mind these satellite views to show me that perfect peace does not mean a total absence from troubles, trials, and storms.

From the global perspective the storm fronts and characteristic cloud swirl patterns of tropical depressions surround areas of calm.  The idyllic photo of ‘great calm’ above is surrounded by tremendous atmospheric disturbance and turmoil.

And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. – Mark 4:39

The perfect peace that our Lord promises us does not mean that we will be free from the storms and trials of life in the body.  It does mean that He gives us a great calmness of soul and spirit in the midst of the storms that surround us.

So how do we attain such perfect peace?  Our reference Scripture says that God keeps those in perfect peace whose minds are stayed on Him.  A stayed mind is a steadfast mind.  It leans upon and rests upon God alone.  It derives its support and holds fast to God all the time.  The one whose mind is stayed upon God trusts in God completely without doubt no matter what your circumstances look like.  Doubt brings instability and destroys perfect peace.

…for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind…he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. – James 1:6

Perfect peace is not found by mental denial of the reality of our situation.  It is not found by numbing our mind with drugs and alcohol nor is it found by placing our trust in people or the material, temporal things of this world. These can only give you a false peace that is temporary at best. We are kept in perfect peace only through an abiding relationship with God through Jesus Christ.  Trust in God is a result of abiding with Him through a lifestyle of prayer and study of His Word.

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. – 1 Thessalonians 5:16

May the Holy Spirit keep your heart and mind stayed on God.  May you enjoy the abiding presence and perfect peace of God in the midst of the storms, trials and turmoil of this world.

Be still, and know that I am God. – Psalm 46:10

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B2B Concert of Prayer – Focal Point #801

Posted on June 24, 2012 by ron021950

CONCERT OF PRAYER

Pray Week 801

“Focal Point”

2 Cor 4:16-18; 5:7-8 (ESV) So we do not lose heart. Though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. …we walk by faith, not by sight … and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.

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I find it difficult to drive at night.  This difficulty is exponentially compounded when it is raining and your headlight beams are absorbed a few feet in front of you.  Add to that a road construction area with numerous orange barrels ‘guiding’ you into makeshift lanes and you know it would be safer to get out of the car and walk.  It is a miracle that I have not careened off of an unfinished road somewhere.

It is during such difficult driving circumstances that I find I must drive with extreme focus intensity.  I need to set my focal point on the path and not on the individual barrels and barricades in order to successfully navigate my way through the construction zone.  It is on such road trips that I cannot wait to get home.

Life is like that also with the rain of troubles, unexpected detours and rough patches.  Our time here on earth also requires that we intently focus on the path and not get caught up in the minutia of day to day distractions that compete for our attention.  Things are extremely difficult for so many people around the world right now.  Unemployment, people displaced from homes, wars, wildfires, floods, famine, earthquakes, political unrest and revolutions, nations at the brink of economic collapse and the list goes on and on.  It is at such times that the Lord would have us adjust our focal point and see the path that He has made for us in Christ Jesus.

For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life … – Matt 7:14

When our focal point is set incorrectly we try to attain ‘heaven on earth’.  We find ourselves envying those who live like the devil and yet enjoy prosperity.  Our prayers become ‘why me’ whining rather than worship, praise, and thanksgiving.

The chorus of the popular song ‘Where I belong’ by Building 429 says “All I know is I’m not home yet.  This is not where I belong.  Take this world and give me Jesus. This is not where I belong.” So much of the inspired Christian music of today seems to be echoing and directing our focal point toward Jesus Christ and eternity in heaven with Him.

May the Holy Spirit inspire your heart and mind to set your focus on seeking His kingdom and righteousness first with an eternal perspective in mind.

I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus … For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; – Phil 3:14-20

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B2B Concert of Prayer – Depth Perception #800

Posted on June 18, 2012 by ron021950

CONCERT OF PRAYER

Pray Week 800

“Depth Perception”

Isaiah 43:19 (ESV)  Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?  I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.

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Have you ever gone through times where you feel trapped in your parched, wilderness circumstances and helpless to change them?

You cry out to God and encourage yourself with His Word only to have your hope dashed to pieces at the next negative turn of events and you wonder why God allowed it to happen and why He does not act more quickly to deliver you through these trials.

The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness… – 2 Peter 3:9

Consider the possibility that it is our own impatience that gives us the perception that God does not hear us or that He is slow to act on our behalf.  The problem lies with our lack of depth perception. Depth perception does not work when our eyes are closed.  The eyes of our hearts must be open in order to perceive the depth of God’s love and provision for us.

He said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. – 2 Kings 6:14

We are not alone in our wilderness experiences.  God is doing a new thing in our lives and in the lives of others through us and the host of heaven surrounds us to protect us and see us through our present trials.

I bow my knees before the Father …that he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit … so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you …may have strength to comprehend … what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. – Ephesians 3:14

It comes down to a personal choice.  I can choose to keep the eyes of my heart closed or I can open them to the truth of God’s Word concerning His love for me.  I can choose to close my eyes in defeat or I can open them with a depth of perception of the conqueror that I am through the abiding presence of Jesus Christ.

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 8:37

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B2B Concert of Prayer – A Cry for Rescue #799

Posted on June 11, 2012 by ron021950

CONCERT OF PRAYER

Pray Week 799

“A Cry for Rescue”

Exodus 2:23-25 (ESV) … the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant… God saw the people of Israel—and God knew.

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I recall a campaign for reelection for governor of a southern state where the incumbent speaking in his characteristic multi-syllabic southern drawl would proclaim, ‘I feel your pain’.  His campaign slogan angered me.  This wealthy politician was as far removed from feeling the pain of the unemployed and working poor in his state as he could be.  The cry for help from the masses seems to always fall on the deaf ears of selfish politicians in state and federal government.  It is frustrating to say the least when it seems that we have no representation or advocate for our cause in government.

Reflect for a moment then on the One who is greater than any government official.  Contemplate His awesome power and love as you look upon all He has created and done. Ponder the fact that He gave His only Son, Jesus, to pay the horrific price for our sins and who now stands before God as our advocate.  Why then, would we cry out to our government officials first and not give our relationship with our heavenly Father priority?

It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man… – Psalm 118:8,9 

Reflect on the plight of the nation of Israel as slaves in Egypt.  Notice from our reference Scripture the phrases: God heard, God remembered, God saw, and God knew.

Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God.  We are oppressed by more than governments and life situations.  Our first priority is to be rescued from our slavery to sin and to become children of God through repentance and acceptance of Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.

…you are slaves to the one whom you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness. – Romans 6:16

…God heard… God is not deaf.  We do not have to enter into loud frenzied prayer rituals shouting at God to get His attention.  He hears the subtle, quiet groaning of your heart.

The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry; – Psalm 34:15

…God remembered… This is not to say that God ever forgot anything.  This means that God is mindful of His covenant relationship with His children who are made righteous through Jesus.  It means that God is now ready to act on our behalf.

God saw… This means that God is highly aware of our situations.  Our trials and momentary troubles are not a surprise to Him.  He is faithful to equip us and carry us through all of them.

…God knew.  Unlike worldly politicians, God truly does feel our pain.  He created us and knows us better than we know ourselves.  In the person of Jesus Christ, He overcame all temptations of this world that are common to mankind and suffered a painful death in our place that we may be reconciled to Him.

When you cry out to God may you have faith, hope, and trust in His steadfast love and in His Word that He hears, remembers, sees, and knows.  May you take comfort in knowing that Jesus is your advocate and is interceding on your behalf before the throne of God.

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B2B Concert of Prayer – Filling the Jar #798

Posted on June 3, 2012 by ron021950

CONCERT OF PRAYER

Pray Week 798

“Filling the Jar”

Matt 6:33 (NKJV) …But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you…

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Imagine for the moment that you are given a task to accomplish.  You are standing at a table with a large empty jar.  On the table are some rock chunks sized to just fit through the mouth of the jar.  You also have a measured amount of smaller rock pebbles, a pile of fine sand and a pitcher of water.  Your task is to fill the jar with all of the rocks, pebbles, sand and water.  The secret to successfully completing your task is to place the objects in the jar in a priority order.  If you put the sand or the pebbles in first you will not be able to fit the rock chunks.  The larger rock chunks must go in first, then to shake the pebbles into the gaps between the rocks.  This is followed by additional shaking to work the sand into all the remaining crevices and cracks. Finally, the water fills any remaining voids no matter how small.

The larger rock chunks represent all that is truly important in life.  Your eternal salvation and your personal daily relationship with Jesus are rock chunks.  Your spiritual and physical health, and your family and other divinely appointed relationships would also be rock chunks. Rock chunks matter in the present and tend to have an eternal spiritual impact for yourself and others.

…Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called… – 1 Tim 6:11

The smaller pebbles represent things that, although necessary in this life, in the grand scheme of eternity matter to a lesser degree than the rock chunks.  Our education, careers and jobs would be pebbles.  The fine grained sand represents everything else in this physical life that tends to matter very little.  Things that entertain us, our hobbies and recreational activities, are examples of sand. The water represents the Holy Spirit that touches all the areas of your life, cementing the relationships together and filling even the smallest void, making you whole and complete.  The jar with its fixed, finite space represents the span of our life on earth.  God has allotted to each of us a fixed amount of time.

O Lord, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am! – Psalm 39:4

Why then do so many of us fill our jars with sand and pebbles first while neglecting the rock chunks?  Many of us are addicted to pleasure.  We devote our time to the pursuit of things that feel good or make us feel good.  We are slaves to the lust of our flesh and we fill our jars with all the sand we can.  Some will even go so far as to remove a rock chunk, perhaps their marriage, or an unwanted pregnancy in order to make room for more sand.

Some people focus on the pebbles first and foremost because they do not trust in God’s promise that if they seek Him and His Kingdom first, He will take care of the other things in their life.  They want to be in control rather than rely on Him in faith, and may even go so far as to remove the ‘Relationship with God’ Rock to make room for pebbles.  This is rationalized as a temporary removal, only until their finances are under control, or their career is on track. They plan to put the rock back later – but later never comes.

May the Holy Spirit give you wisdom and resolve to balance your life priorities with an eternal mindset and focus.  May you seek God’s kingdom and righteousness first as you grow in your relationship and trust in Him and His Living Word, Jesus Christ.

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B2B Concert of Prayer – Thirsty #797

Posted on May 27, 2012 by ron021950

CONCERT OF PRAYER

Pray Week 797

“Thirsty”

John 7:37-39 (ESV) …Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ ” Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive…

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Imagine being thirsty on a hot, humid day and ordering a cold beverage only to have it brought to your table in a filthy, dirty glass.  You probably would not drink from it no matter how thirsty you were.

As Christians, we are vessels for God’s Holy Spirit, His ‘Living Water’.  Reflect for a moment whether others, believers and non-believers alike, would drink from your vessel.

Sure, on the outside you look holy and Christian-like.  You proudly wear sacramental emblems as well as T-shirts, bracelets and other jewelry with Christian sayings.  You adorn your car with license plate holders, bumper stickers and other Christian symbols.  Does all of this merely identify you as a member of a religious club in much the same way as those with political, sports, & various social affiliations identify themselves?

… Hypocrites! You are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and self-indulgence! Blind Pharisees! First wash the inside of the cup, and then the outside will become clean, too. – Matt 23:25

What is the difference?  What would draw the thirsty for Jesus to come to you?  Many of us know people who are believers and non-believers.  Many of us know non-believers that act more Christ-like than many believers.  This is sad, but true.

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. -Matt 23:27

The power and the draw of the Church is the abiding presence of God’s Holy Spirit in the heart of believers in Jesus Christ.  We have to get beyond the idea that the Church is a building. The Church is you and I going about our daily lives in this world.  The woman at the well asked Jesus for Living Water.  Will people in your daily encounters recognize Christ in you and also ask for His Living Water?  Or will they be repulsed by the ‘vessel’ that you proclaim carries this Living Water?

Brothers and sisters in Christ, you are evangelists and missionaries each and every day of your lives.  Your actions and words under the vast variety of life circumstances and situations speak of the reality of the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ that is living in you.

May the Holy Spirit do a ‘deep cleansing’ of your vessel, inside and out.  May you yield to the Master’s hand as He scrapes away all the crud of the world that you have allowed to build up on your vessel, the temple of God’s Holy Spirit.  May the abiding presence of the Lord dwell in your heart and be an invitation to all who thirst for Jesus.

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.  Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. – Psalm 51:10

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